Improvement in safety-hooks for filing papers



"L. H. BECKWITH. Safety-Hooks for Filing Papers.

Patented May 13, 1873.

\NVENYOR:

WITNESSES LUTHER H. BEOKWITH, OF roar JERVIS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-HOOKS FOR FILING PAPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,782, dated May 13, 1873 application filed October 8, 1872.

- securely against accidental removal, it being more especially designed for holding blanks containing telegraphic communications; said hook consisting of a plate, to which is attached a hook projecting upw rd, and to which is also attached a bow-spring, which bears against the inner side of the hook near its point, and precludes the accidental removal or displacement of a paper or blank affixed upon'the hook; it also consists in the combination, with such device, of a lever for facilitating the operating of the spring when it is desired to affix upon the hook, or to remove from the same, a paper, letter, or message.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a face view of my improved device with the spring-operating lever attached. Fig. 2 is a side or edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a face view of the said device without the springoperating lever; and Fig. 4 is a side or edge view of the same.

Similar letters in the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

A designates a plate, of any suitable construction, and made of any suitable material, but, preferably, of metal, stamped or cast in the desired shape, the said plate being provided with one or more screw-holes or other suitable means for attaching it to a stationary object. B is a hook, which is secured at its rear end to the said plate A, its pointed end projecting upward and in front of the plate A. (J designates the safety-spring. This spring is of bow or U-shape, and carries a coil, a, at each end, near where said ends are secured to the plate A on opposite sides of its face. The

coils a a cause the bow b to have an outward tendency, so that said bow shall constantly.

bear against the hook B near its point, the said bow being arranged or located between the plate A and the point of the hook B.

To remove a paper or blank from the hook B it is necessary to press down the spring O-say, with the thumb or finger. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a lever for operating the said spring.

D,designates a lever, which is pivoted to the plate A, and is provided with an arm, 0, so that on drawing forward the lever D the said arm will press or draw down the bow b of the spring (J, and leave free access to the hook B for permitting the securing of blanks, letters, and other papers upon the hook, and the withdrawal of the same therefrom.

My improved safety-hook is more especially designed for telegraphic messages and blanks, particularly for holding messages about to be transmitted, as well as to. preserve a file of those already transmitted, to any given place. An operator may have a number of these hooks screwed or fastened to the wall in front of him, or within reach of his hand, and affix above any desired number of the said hooks a little plate containing the call name of the several stations on his line, as shown at N V, Fig. 1. Now, the operator at the sendingstation, upon receiving a message or a number of messages for any particular station upon his line, can at once hook the message upon the hook designed for holding messages for transmission to that station, and such message or messages will remain there without danger of being blown away, lost, or mislaid, until he is in communication with the office or station to which the same are to be transmitted, when he can send such message or messages, one after another, without the trouble of sorting them out.

The utility of this device, in a main office, for holding half-rate or night messages must be very obvious.

I am aware that safety-hooks for holding letters, papers, 8w, are not new, but I am not aware of any such device constructed as herein shown and described, particularly as regards the bow-shaped spring.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved safety-hook, consisting of the combination of the plate A, the hook B, and the safety-spring, the latter composed of the bow G and the coils a a, all arranged and 

